Persistence of Vision
by Darkrealmist v.2
Summary: After his brother's concert, Takaishi Takeru casually dismisses Motomiya Daisuke's attraction. Little did he know that would be the last he saw of Daisuke for the foreseeable future. [Post-Digimon Adventure 02, pre-Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna. Pre-slash Daisuke x Takeru]


Persistence of Vision

Author's Note: Set between the end of _Digimon Adventure 02_ and the end of _Digimon Adventure tri._ Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Digimon series.

Pairings: Pre-slash Daisuke x Takeru. Referenced one-sided (canon) Daisuke x Hikari.

Summary:

After his brother's concert, Takaishi Takeru casually dismisses Motomiya Daisuke's attraction. Little did he know that would be the last he saw of Daisuke for the foreseeable future.

* * *

An easygoing Takeru was chatting with fans who came to watch Yamato perform his first gig since leaving the Teen-Age Wolves over creative differences and forming KNIFE OF DAY.

It pissed Daisuke off. Takeru wasn't even putting any effort into his flirtations. Girls merely lined up. Why were chicks so interested in him all of a sudden? Was it the exoticism of his hair? His height?

Shaking his groupies, the blond, blue-eyed teenager waved, and for one choked heartbeat, Daisuke wanted a fairer roll of the dice. In that bizarro dimension where they battled BelialVamdemon, where your very will shaped reality, he could have grown boobs and maybe stood a chance.

Takeru's doofy hipster outfit – the stupid, lazily swathed scarf and dorky purple fedora – shattered the fantasy. Ironic, considering Daisuke was the sole Chosen Child unaffected by their mortal enemy's Mind Illusion attack.

What was Daisuke, crazy? He loved being a dude just fine! Takeru was his competition for Hikari, not a guy to drool over!

"Sorry I kept you waiting, Daisuke-kun."

"You're becoming quite the babe magnet!" the shorter blurted, partly insincere.

"You think so? I thought that was your forte."

Daisuke lost his cool again at Takeru's earnestness. Curse his raging hormones! Puberty _sucked_!

"There'll be hell when I break it to them it's you I like."

Takeru blinked in an innocent manner Daisuke found rather cute.

"We'll both get burned, haha!"

Yep. The admission fizzled. Takeru took it as a joke.

To be safe, Daisuke urged, "Don't tell Hikari-chan."

"Why?"

Terrible optics. The gossip would be especially damaging. Self-attributed ladykiller Motomiya Daisuke hitting on another boy. Even if nobody believed it, it'd be a scandal. A credible menace to Daisuke's odds of hooking up with Hikari.

Not everyone was as naively clueless as Takaishi Takeru. Daisuke would never hear the end of it from Miyako. She wasn't here, yet her imaginary mockery made him blush.

But he still gave it away. Hikari had a decent chuckle about it and about Takeru's woefully dim lack of understanding.

Those were simpler times. Before adult choices. Before the difficult, irreversible decision to remove Meicoomon.

Past mistakes infected the present. Takeru wished he'd spoken up. Been better. He blanked it out, Daisuke's kinda-sorta confession. How couldn't he have seen it? He betrayed Daisuke. Failed Ken, Miyako, and Iori. Pushed his friends to the fringes. If he questioned their absence sooner, perhaps Alphamon's strike on the four could've been averted, and Meicoomon saved.

Daigo and Himekawa's agency did a thorough job burying the missing kids' disappearances, bribing or coercing involved parties to remain silent, and controlling the flow of information.

Somehow, the Original Eight bought the bullshit cover story.

Accepting their share of the blame, Hikari and Takeru paused outside Daisuke's hospital room.

Mindful he felt most responsible for Daisuke, Hikari advised Takeru, "You go in by yourself. I'll check on Miyako-san and the others first."

He'd contemplated bringing flowers, but went empty-handed knowing the last thing Daisuke needed after awakening from a cryogenic coma in the Digital World was a nose full of pollen.

"You standin' in the door all day, or are you sayin' hello?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't talk to me," Takeru conceded, Patamon flapping his ears between his partner's arms.

"Try harder."

"Daisuke-kun…I, I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad I'm alive too!" He flipped his sheets. "Last I remember, I was ready to kick your ass for spilling my secret to Hikari-chan! Then Yggdrasill sent its Royal Goon to kill us!"

Defensive, loud, and snippy. This was Daisuke, all right!

Patamon flew off, expecting Daisuke to throw a punch. Takeru negated the necessity, hugging him tearfully before things turned violent.

"You're real…"

"Me threatening you is your cue to run, Takeru!"

"Too bad! I don't care!"

He had Daisuke back.

Within the hug, Daisuke caressed a queer accessory. "Am I ever gonna be rid of your ridiculous hats?"

"Not if we're boyfriends, Daisuke-kun!"

Wow. A lot _had_ changed while he was gone!

"Is V-mon around?"

"That's a good question! I haven't seen him. Hawkmon or Armadimon either! We should ask Koushiro-san!"

"Ah!" Miyako's awe paralyzed them. She'd risen out of bed, Hikari acting as her crutch. "Daisuke! You and Takeru-kun are –?"

"MIYAKO! Hikari-chan? Please! I'm in a gown!"

Takeru laughed along, realizing Daisuke's butt was showing.


End file.
